Age, growth and mortality of red bandfish, Cepola macrophthalma (L.), in the western Aegean Sea (Greece)

Abstract

Age, growth and mortality of red bandfish, Cepola macrophrhalma (L.), from the western Aegean Sea were studied using the otoliths from 1113 fish and the length and weight of 3351 fish. Two regions were established (north and south of the Euripos Strait). The red bandfish grows allometrically (slope of length‐weight regressions ≤2) and relatively rapidly until age 4 or 5 years. It is proposed that this rapid linear growth represents an adaptation which evolved to reduce the vulnerability of red bandfish to whole‐fish swallowers. Back‐calculated lengths‐at‐age showed significant differences between regions and between sexes. Males were larger than females after age 2 years. Maximum age of northern fish was also higher than southern fish (8 and 5 years respectively). Southern fish grow at a faster rate (K=0.379) but to a significantly smaller size (Lx=424.8mm t.l., Wx=25.1 g) than northern fish (K=0.214, Lx=676.1 mm t.l., Wx=90.9 g). Mortality rates (total and natural instantaneous mortalities) of southern fish were also higher than northern fish. We suggest that these variations represent responses to the different conditions of temperature and food availability prevailing in the two regions.